Bottle holder for open-top storage receptacle



E. OLSSON 3,220,558

BOTTLE HOLDER FOR OPEN-TOP STORAGE RECEPTACLE Nov. 30, 1965 5Sheets-Sheet 1 22 INVENTOR.

fl BY A rrafi/vfr Filed Jan. 15, 1963 Nov. 30, 1965 E. OLSSON 3,220,558

BOTTLE HOLDER FOR OPEN-TOP STORAGE REGEPTACLE Filed Jan. 15, 1963 3Sheets-Sheet 2 24 25 8' F/ a. 2 25 26 6 r I Zia g v5 A /Ze I /9 u w A d/&

ifi? I NVENTOR.

E. OLSSON 3,220,558

BOTTLE HOLDER FOR OPENTOP STORAGE RECEPTACLE Nov. 30, 1955 3 Sheets$heet5 Filed Jan. 15, 1963 INVENTOR. 4 fiAuh- A 14/70P/Vf) United StatesPatent 3,229,558 BOTTLE HOLDER FOR OPEN-TSP STORAGE RECEPTACLE ErikOlsson, Bromnra, Sweden, assignor to Alrtiebolaget Electrolux,Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Jan. 15, 1963, Ser. No.251,607 Claims priority, application Sweden, Jan. 17, 1962, 480/ 62 10(Ilaims. (Cl. 21174) My invention relates to a bottle holder foropen-top storage receptacle.

In household refrigerators having doors provided with open-topreceptacles for storing bottles and other articles, when small bottleshave been placed in an opentop receptacle designed to hold large bottlesand the open-top receptacles are only partially filled, the bottlesoften fall over and break when the door is suddenly pulled open orslammed closed.

The object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive bottle holderfor holding a plurality of bottles erect in an open-top receptacle whenthe receptacle is only partially filled or when it is occupied bybottles smaller that the receptacle is designed for.

The above and other objects and advantages of my invention will becomeapparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and of whichFIG. 1 is a perspective View more or less diagrammatically illustratingthe interior of the bottom part of a door of a household refrigeratorprovided with an opentop receptacle having a bottle holder embodying myinvention; FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of the doorshown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part shown in FIGS. 1and 2 to illustrate details more clearly; and FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 arevertical sectional views similar to FIG. 2 illustrating modifications ofthe invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, I have shown my invention in connection with a door10 of a household refrigerator. The door 10 comprises an outer wall 11and an inner wall or liner 12 having suitable insulation therebetween. Aframe 14 having shelves 15 and 16 is fixed to the inner wall 12 in anysuitable manner. The shelves 15 and 16 desirably are removably mountedon the frame 14, and the top shelf 15 is adjustable vertically on anysuitable manner to provide a vertical space of desired height betweenthe shelves. The top shelf 15, which has upstanding side and front walls17, is of less depth than the bottom shelf 16 and provides a spaceforholding and storing articles which are relatively small. The bottomshelf 16, which has upstanding side and front walls 18a and 18b,respectively, and liner 12 cooperating therewith defines an open-topreceptacle for storing bottles of different sizes and shapes, such asthe bottles A, B and C, for example.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the frame 14 is formed with upright bosses 140which are in the form of pegs and extend upward from the bottom 14:) ofthe frame at the inner surfaces of the opposing frame sides 140. Theside walls 18a of the bottom shelf 16 are formed with vertical notches18d which cooperate with the bosses 14a to removably hold the bottomshelf in position on the frame with a downwardly extending lip 16a ofthe bottom shelf bearing against a shoulder 14d of the frame bottom1417.

In accordance with my invention, in order to hold the bottles erect inthe open-top receptacle defined in part by the bottom shelf 16 even whenthe shelf is only partly filled, I provide a bottle holder 19 whichextends Patented Nov. 30, 1965 lengthwise of the bottom shelf and isformed with flexible fingers 20 which function not only to hold thebottles against the front wall 18b of the shelf but also to hold thebottles in an upright position and prevent them from moving lengthwiseof the shelf and falling over. The bottle holder 19 includes a zone orregion 21 intermediate its top and bottom edges which is imperforate,the bottom part of the holder being notched at 22 to form the elongatedflexible fingers 2t) and the top part being notched at 23 to formrelatively short stiff fingers 24 and 25. The alternate short fingers 24and 25 are at an acute angle with respect to one another, the fingers 25being inclined forward from the fingers 24.

The bottle holder 19 is fixed to the inner wall or liner 12 by anelongated fitting 26 having a first U-shaped portion 26a which extendsthrough a horizontal slot 12a in the door liner and is fixed thereto inany suitable manner, as by riveting, for example. The fitting 26includes a second U-shaped portion 26b which opens downward and has itsclosed end, which is wider than its open end fitting snugly against ashoulder or offset portion 12b of the door liner 12.

As seen in FIG. 2, the U-shaped portion 26b of the fitting 26 receivesthe short fingers 24 and 25 of the bottle holder 19. When successivefingers 24 and 25 are being inserted into the U-shaped portion 2612, thefingers 25 are pushed rearward into alignment with the fingers 24 andthe fingers 24 and 25 are moved upward toward the closed end of theU-shaped portion 26b. When the tips of the fingers 24- and 25 reach theclosed end of the U-shaped portion 26b, the fingers 25 move forward andassume their forwardly inclined position shown in FIG. 3. When thisoccurs the alternate fingers 24 and 25 are at an acute angle withrespect to one another and press against the opposing side walls of theU-shaped portion 265, which not only firmly anchors the bottle holder 19in the fitting 26 but also makes it possible for the holder to bereadily removed from the fitting when desired.

The bottle holder 19 is formed of an elastomeric material which maycomprise any suitable resilient substance such as natural or syntheticrubber, or plastic such as polyethylene, for example. The bottle holder19 is of such shape that when it is mounted on the door liner 12, thefingers 20, which are stiff and inflexible lengthwise of the shelf,slope downward and forward toward the front upstanding shelf wall 18band assume the solid line position d in FIG. 2. In this unfiexedposition the fingers 21B are essentially straight from the imperforatezone 21 to their extreme tips and at an acute angle r4 to the door liner12 which serves as the rear wall of the bottom shelf 16. When bottles ofthe sizes and shapes of the bottles shown in FIG. 1 are positioned onthe shelf 16, the fingers 2t acting on the rearwardmost parts of thebottles A, B and C will assume the dotted line positions a, b and 0,respectively, shown in FIG. 2. In this figure the distances A, B and Cfrom the front wall 18b toward the door liner 12 represent the diametersof the bottles A, B and C, respectively, positioned on the bottom shelf16. From the rearwardmost parts to the sides of the bottles, as viewedin FIG. 1, the fingers 20 acting on the different bottles are flexed topositions which are between the unfiexed position d and the extremeflexed positions a, b and c. Hence, each finger 20 acting on a bottle iseffectively employed to exert force on the bottle and functions toresiliently bias the bottle against the front wall 18b of the shelf 16.Further, the fingers 20 at each side of a bottle which do not exertforward thrusts on the bottle and are unfiexed and in close proximity tothe bottle function to hold it in an upright position and prevent itfrom slipping and falling on its side, especially when the shelf is notcompletely filled with bottles and the door is suddenly pulled open orslammed closed.

In the embodiment of the invention being described and shown in FIGS. 1and 2, it will be noted that the bottle holder 19 is fixed to the doorliner 12 at a region which is above the top edge 180 of the front wall18b and the flexible fingers 20 extend downward through a verticalheight from a point above the top edge 180 of the front Wall 1812 to apoint below the top edge 18c thereof, at which region the fingersindependently act upon bottles stored on the shelf to hold them erect.With this arrangement the flexible fingers 20 can assume any one of theseveral positions a, b and shown in FIG. 2 to urge bottles against thefront wall 18b in abutting relation therewith and hold them erect. Ineffect, the forward thrust exerted by the fingers 20 on the bottlesincludes a component of force acting toward the front shelf wall 18!)which is at an angle inclined upward from the horizontal.

In FIG. 4, I have shown another embodiment of my invention in whichparts similar to those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are designated by the samereference numerals to which 100 has been added. The bottle holder 119 inFIG. 4 is of inverted U- or V-shape having a plurality of flexiblefingers 120 alongside one another which are like the fingers 20 in FIG.3. The fingers 120 collectively form one arm of the bottle holder 119,the other arm 127 of which is fixed at 128 to the closed end 129a of aU-shaped bracket 129 having spaced sides 1291) connected by the closedend 129a. The sides 12912 of bracket 129 are formed with verticalnotches 129a similar to the notches formed in the side walls 118a of thebottom shelf 116. The bosses 114a formed in the sides of frame 114cooperate not only with the notches at the side walls of the bottomshelf 116 but also with the notches 129c in the sides 1291) of thebracket 129 for removably holding in position the shelf 116 and also thebracket 129 upon which the bottle holder 119 is mounted.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the notches between adjacent flexiblefingers 120 extend from the tips or outer free ends of the fingers to azone 130 in the arm 127 which is immediately above the imperforateportion of arm 127 fixed to the closed end of the bracket 129. As in thefirst-described embodiment, the fingers 120 extend downward and areinclined from the vertical toward the front wall 118!) of the shelf.Also, the fingers 120 extend through a vertical height from a pointabove the top edge 1180 of the front wall 118!) to a lower point belowthe top edge of the front wall at which region the fingers act uponbottles stored on the shelf to hold them erect.

In FIG. 5, I have shown a further embodiment of my invention in whichparts similar to those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are designated by the samereference numerals to which 200 has been added. The embodiment of FIG. 5differs from the previously described embodiments in that the bottleholder 219 is mounted on the front wall 213b of the shelf 216 and thebottles are held against the inner door wall or liner 212. The bottleholder 219 is of inverted V- or U-shape having a plurality of flexiblefingers 220 alongside one another which are like the fingers 20 in FIG.3. The fingers 220 have top and bottom faces or sides, respectively, andcollectively form one arm of the bottle holder, the other arm 227 ofwhich includes a hollow mounting bead 231 having an elongated recess anda passage which extends from the open bottom of the bead to the recessand is formed by downwardly extending lip portions 231a of the bead. Thetop edge 2180 of the front wall 218!) of the shelf 216 is enlarged andis of such size that it fits snugly within the recess of the mountingbead 231 and is wider than the gap between the spaced lip portions 231aof the bead. When the bead 231 is being forced downward on the frontwall 21817 of the shelf, the lip portions 231a spread apart to allow theenlarged top edge 218s of the front wall to pass through the narrow gapbetween the lip portions. When the enlarged top edge 2180 of the frontwall 21% is positioned in the recess of the mounting bead 231, the lipportions 231a snap together and frictionally grip the part of the frontwall 21% below the enlarged top edge 218a to hold the bottle holder 219in position. With this construction the bottle holder 219 can be easilyattached to and removed from the front shelf wall 21815.

In FIG. 5 the flexible fingers 22% extend downward and are inclined fromthe vertical toward the rear wall or liner 212 of the door. The fingers220 in FIG. 5 extend through a vertical height from a point above thetop edge 218:: to a point below the top wall edge 2180. However, thefingers 220 can be located at a higher level than in the previouslydescribed embodiments for the reason that they function to support thebottles against the door liner 212 instead of against the relativelyshort front wall 21812 of the bottom shelf 216. Although the fingers 220in FIG. 5 desirably should be located as high as possible so that theywill hold relatively tall bottles erect, in this location they are noteffective to hold relatively small bottles erect. In order that bothsmall and large bottles may be held erect on the same shelf, theflexible fingers may be divided into groups located at different levels.This makes it possible for a bottle to be located according to its sizein the position on the shelf where the flexible fingers are at thecorrect height to exert maximum thrust against its side and hold iterect. Such an embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 in which parts similar tothose shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are designated by the same referencenumerals to which 300 has been added. In FIG. 6 the bottle holder 319includes a first portion 319' which is similar to the bottle holder 219in FIG. 5 and extends a part of the distance lengthwise of the shelf316, and a second portion 319" which is adjacent to the first portion319' and extends another part of the distance lengthwise of the shelf.

The first and second portions 319 and 319 of the bottle holder 319 maybe formed with a common hollow mounting bead 331 similar to the mountingbead 231 in FIG. 5 for mounting the bottle holder at the top front edge318a of the front shelf wall 318k of the bottom shelf 316. The fingers320" of the portion 319" of the bottle holder 319 are at a lower levelthan the fingers 320' of the portion 319 and their extremities arenearer to the inner door liner 312 than the extremities of the fingers320. Hence, the flexible fingers 320 will be most effective to holdsmall bottles and articles erect on the shelf 316, and the flexiblefingers 320' will be most effective to hold large bottles and articleserect on the shelf.

In view of the foregoing, it will now be understood that in theembodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, for example, the bottom shelf 16 provides anelongated supporting surface and first and second longitudinallyextending retaining means 12 and 1812, respectively, are disposed atopposing longitudinal edges thereof. The supporting surface and firstand second retaining means 12 and 1811, respectively, together with theend walls 18a, define an open-top receptacle. The one retaininng means18b functions as a retaining wall having a top edge which defines inpart the top opening of the receptacle.

The bottle holder is mounted on the first retaining means 12 by anelongated fitting 26 and comprises structure 19 which extends lengthwiseof the shelf surface at the first retaining means 12 and includes a rowof elongated fingers 20 which are relatively thin like fingers of a comband substantially inextensible in the direction of their length andperpendicular to the one retaining means 18b. The gaps 22 separate thefingers 20 from one another from the tips or outer free ends thereoftoward the first retaining means 12. The separated fingers 20 can "beindividually deflected and are independently movable from unflexedpositions, as indicated at d in FIG. 2, to flexed positions, asindicated at a, b and c in FIG. 2. The elongated comb-like fingers areindependently movable down and up between unflexed and flexed positions,respectively, in adjacent vertical planes which pass lengthwise throughthe fingers and are substantially perpendicular to the one retainingmeans 18b. The separated fingers 20 in their unflexed positions, asindicated at d in FIG. 2, extend across the shelf surface from the firstretaining means 12 toward the second retaining means 18b and both thetop and bottom sides thereof slope downward toward their outer free endsor tips from a first region at one level to a second region at a lowerlevel.

The fingers 20 are positioned so that the outer free ends thereof areremoved from the shelf surface and the second retaining means 18b intheir unflexed and flexed positions, as shown in FIG. 2. Each of thefingers 24 when moved and deflected to a flexed position by the bottlesA, B and C positioned in the receptacle adjacent to the second retainingmeans 18b, as shown in FIG. 1, functions to resiliently bias the bottlecoacting therewith against the second retaining means, The elongatedfingers 20 at the sides of the bottles in FIG. 1 function to hold thebottles in an erect position because the relatively thin comb-likefingers are immovable sideways with respect to one another.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention,it will be apparent that modifications and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, as pointed out inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a member providing an elongated supportingsurface and first and second longitudinally extending retaining means atopposing longitudinal edges thereof, means including the supportingsurface and the first and second retaining means defining an open-topstorage receptacle for bottles, at least one of said retaining meansfunctioning as a retaining wall having a top edge which defines in partthe top opening of the receptacle, of a holder for a plurality ofbottles, means for mounting said holder on said first retaining means,said holder comprising structure which extends lengthwise of saidsurface at said first retaining means and includes a row of elongatedfingers which are relatively thin like fingers of a comb andsubstantially inextensible in the direction of their length andsubstantially perpendicular to said one retaining means, said fingershaving top and bottom sides and being separated from one another fromthe outer free ends thereof toward said first retaining means, saidseparated fingers being flexible and independently movable from unflexedto flexed positions in adjacent vertical planes which pass lengthwisethrough said fingers and are substantially perpendicular to said oneretaining means, said separated fingers in their unflexed positionsextending across the supporting surface from said first retaining meanstoward said second retaining means and having both the top and bottomsides thereof sloping downward toward their outer free ends from a firstregion at one level to a second region at a lower level, and saidfingers being positioned so that the outer free ends thereof are removedfrom said supporting surface and said second retaining means in theirunflexed and flexed positions, each of said fingers when moved to aflexed position by a bottle positioned in said receptacle adjacent tosaid second retaining means functioning to resiliently bias the bottleagainst the latter.

2. The bottle holder set forth in claim 1 in which said elongatedcomb-like fingers are movable down and up between unflexed and flexedposition, respectively, and immovable sideways with respect to oneanother.

3. A bottle holder as set forth in claim 1 in which the second region atthe lower level and to which the outer 6 free ends of said fingers slopedownward from the first region is below the top edge of said oneretaining means.

4. A bottle holder as set forth in claim 1 in which the first region atthe one level and from which said fingers slope downward is higher thanthe top edge of said one retaining means.

5. A bottle holder as set forth in claim 1 in which both the firstregion at the one level and from which said fingers slope downward andthe second region at the lower level and to which the outer free ends ofsaid fingers slope downward from the first region are higher than thetop edge of said one retaining means.

6. A bottle holder as set forth in claim 1 in which the first region atthe one level and from which said fingers slope downward is higher thanthe top edge of said one retaining means and the second region at thelower level and to which the outer free ends of said fingers slopedownward from the first region is below the top edge of said oneretaining means.

'7. The combination with a member providing an elongated supportingsurface and first and second longitudinally extending retaining means atopposing longitudinal edges thereof, means including the supportingsurface and the first and second retaining means defining an open-topstorage receptacle for bottles, at least one of said retaining meansfunctioning as a retaining wall having a top edge which defines in partthe top opening of the receptacle, of a holder for a plurality ofbottles, means for mounting said holder on said first retaining means,said holder comprising structure which extends lengthwise of saidsurface at said first retaining means and includes a row of elongatedfingers which are relatively thin like the fingers of a comb andsubstantially inextensible in the direction of their length andalongside one another substantially perpendicular to said one retainingmeans, said fingers having top and bottom sides and being separated fromone another from the outer free ends thereof toward said first retainingmeans, said separated fingers being flexible and independently movablefrom unflexed to flexed positions in adjacent vertical planes which passlengthwise through said fingers and are substantially perpendicular tosaid one retaining means, said separated fingers in their unflexedpositions extending across the supporting surface from said firstretaining means toward said second retaining means and having both thetop and bottom sides thereof sloping downward toward their outer freeends from a first region at one level to a second region at a lowerlevel, and said fingers being positioned so that the outer free endsthereof are removed from said supporting surface and said secondretaining means in their unflexed and flexed positions, each of saidfingers when moved to a flexed position by a bottle positioned in saidreceptacle adjacent to said second retaining means functioning toresiliently bias the bottle against the latter.

8. A bottle holder as set forth in claim 7 in which said structureembodies gripping means and said structure mounting means comprises saidgripping means for detachably mounting said structure in frictionalengagement with said first retaining means.

9. A bottle holder as set forth in claim 7 in which said structureincludes elongated first and second parts which are joined to oneanother and extend lengthwise of said surface at said first retainingmeans, said first part extending upward at said first retaining meansand said second part extending across said surface from said firstretaining means toward said second retaining means and having top andbottom sides sloping downward from the region at which said parts arejoined to one another, said second part comprising said fingers.

10. A bottle holder as set forth in claim 7 in which said structureincludes elongated first and second parts which are joined to oneanother and extend lengthwise of said surface at said first retainingmeans, said first part extending upward at said first retaining meansand said second part extending across said surface from said first 7retaining means toward said second retaining means and having top andbottom side sloping downward from the region at which said parts arejoined to one another, said first and second parts having slots to formsaid fingers which are separated from one another, said fingersextending from their outer free ends across said second part andterminating in said first part between the region at which said partsare joined to one another and the region References Cited by theExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS Bantel 21188 X Mize 312138 Weir 211-74Money 312I38 Sandmoen 248-314 X Robichaud 21174 at which said first partextends upward from said first re- 10 CLAUDE LE ROY, Primary Examiner-FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner,

taining means.

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A MEMBER PROVIDING AN ELONGATED SUPPORTINGSURFACE AND FIRST AND SECOND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING RETAINING MEANS ATOPPOSING LONGITUDINAL EDGES THEREOF, MEANS INCLUDING THE SUPPORTINGSURFACE AND THE FIRST AND SECOND RETAINING MEANS DEFINING AN OPEN-TOPSTORAGE RECEPTACLE FOR BOTTLES, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID RETAINING MEANSFUNCTIONING AS A RETAINING WALL HAVING A TOP EDGE WHICH DEFINES IN PARTTHE TOP OPENING OF THE RECEPTACLE, OF A HOLDER FOR A PLURALITY OFBOTTLES, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID HOLDER ON SAID FIRST RETAINING MEANS,SAID HOLDER COMPORISING STRUCTURE WHICH EXTENDS LENGTHWISE OF SAIDSURFACE AT SAID FIRST RETAINING MEANS AND INCLUDES A ROW OF ELONGATEDFINGERS WHICH ARE RELATIVELY THIN LIKE FINGERS OF A COMB ANDSUBSTANTIALLY INEXTENSIBLE IN THE DIRECTION OF THEIR LENGTH ANDSUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID ONE RETAINING MEANS, SAID FINGERSHAVING TOP AND BOTTOM SIDES AND BEING SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER FROMTHE OUTER FREE ENDS THEREOF TOWARD SAID FIRST RETAINING MEANS, SAIDSEPARATED FINGERS BEING FLEXIBLE AND INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE FROM UNFLEXEDTO FLEXED POSITIONS IN ADJACENT VERTICAL PLANES WHICH PASS LENGTHWISETHROUGH SAUD FUNGERS AND ARE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID ONERETAINING MEANS, SAID SEPARATED FINGERS IN THEIR INFLEXED POSITIONSEXTENDING ACROSS THE SUPPORTING SURFACE FROM SAID FIRST RETAINING MEANSTOWEARD SAID SECOND RETAINING MEANS AND HAVING BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOMSIDES THEREOF SLOPING DOWNWARD TOWARD THEIR OUTER FREE ENDS FROM A FIRSTREGION AT ONE LEVEL TO A SECOND REGION AT A LOWER LEVEL, AND SAIDFINGERS BEING POSITIONED SO THAT THE OUTER FREE ENDS THEREOF ARE REMOVEDFROM SAID SUPPORTING SURACE AND SAID SECOND RETAINING MEANS IN THEIRUNFLEXED AND FLEXED POSITIONS, EACH OF SAID FINGERS WHEN MOVED TO AFLEXED POSITION BY A BOTTLE POSITIONED IN SAID RECEPTACLE ADJACENT TOSAID SECOND RETAINING MEANS FUNCTIONING TO RESILIENTLY BIAS THE BOTTLEAGAINST THE LATTER.